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Apple Said to Consider Becoming a Mobile Carrier by Leasing Network Capacity in U.S. and Europe
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I’ve been hoping for this from the beginning! Would love to see it happen.
Would you try Walmart to provide you with phone service? Millions do - its called Straight talk and is provided by AT&T - nothing different here.
If Apple can better AT&T's price and provide decent coverage (with no sneaky fees etc.), this would be something I would seriously consider.
I always thought BuzzFeed was a sleazier version of Business Insider. Both are unreadable without an ad blocker.
It would be great if Apple copied Google on this. I'm on Project Fi (after leaving Verizon) and its been great. If Apple joins in the big carriers will be finally forced into competing again.
Get the price and signal range right and I'm in. Horrendously over price it and nobody is in.
For example, I'm with EE in the UK because they prove to have the best signal strength among the top carriers here. If Apple could match that service, I'd be in.
For example, I'm with EE in the UK because they prove to have the best signal strength among the top carriers here. If Apple could match that service, I'd be in.
So you also want unlimited water, electric, gas, food, for one exceptionally low rate? Would we all not like that. I actually like the way water and electricity are billed with tiers. I have some control over how much I use on monthly basis. Some months occur higher rates while others are lower. Google has it correct, pay for what you use at either a tier basis or flat rate per mb. Use more pay more, use less pay less.
All data is unlimited! I wish people would fricking stop saying this! It's the speed they change!
I feel like Apple would simplify the experience for the users of their cellular phone service, as that's one of the business strategies the company uses.
If Apple offered everyone unlimited talk, text, wi-fi calling and texting, unlimited streaming of Apple Music, and 10 GB a month for an individual user for $100 a month with only sales taxes not included, then that would be okay.
The other plan could consist of all of the same services, but with 50 GB, and up to five lines, for $400 a month (before sales tax), since those who have multiple lines should receive a discount.
What else might be launching in about five years? The Apple Car.
Seems like a way for the car to remain connected without having to worry about cell phone contracts and paying $10 extra a month, or whatever the carriers come up with a few years from now, and the hassle of setting up a car on a network. If Apple wants the car to self drive, even, a network would be critical to making that work seamlessly. And, maybe it would even allow for enhanced security?
Not sure the value-add is there for just the iPhone and iPad, at least today. When iPhones drop a call, you blame AT&T, Verizon, etc. Why rely on their networks, be subject to the same issues, and take 100% of the blame for capacity and signal strength issues? It doesn't make as much sense. 99% customer satisfaction is tough to imagine if Apple is running the network, monthly billing, family plans, etc. as well.
Bring a car or some other always-connected device into the mix, and this gets a lot more interesting.
Seems like a way for the car to remain connected without having to worry about cell phone contracts and paying $10 extra a month, or whatever the carriers come up with a few years from now, and the hassle of setting up a car on a network. If Apple wants the car to self drive, even, a network would be critical to making that work seamlessly. And, maybe it would even allow for enhanced security?
Not sure the value-add is there for just the iPhone and iPad, at least today. When iPhones drop a call, you blame AT&T, Verizon, etc. Why rely on their networks, be subject to the same issues, and take 100% of the blame for capacity and signal strength issues? It doesn't make as much sense. 99% customer satisfaction is tough to imagine if Apple is running the network, monthly billing, family plans, etc. as well.
Bring a car or some other always-connected device into the mix, and this gets a lot more interesting.
t-mobile offers a test drive where they'll ship an iphone 5S out for you to try out for a week. I did that in December and switched after seeing they had coverage at most of the places I go
Apple is "the big boys" now.
This would be a great idea. Vertical integration to absolutely dominate the mobile universe.
Bring it on!
Was thinking the same thing until I realized that ALL tech stocks tumbled. Turns out it had to do with the falling price of oil. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-stocks-drop-led-fall-175309787.html
Sounds like a very expensive bad idea to me, Apple don't do cheap so I can only see them competing directly, or charging more then current tariffs. Meh I still will remain with EE regardless as I get the best signal from them. No point having an Apple tariff if you get no signal.
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Subsidized phones need to stop period. Make iPhones available at all electronic stores a let people decide what carrier they want. Carriers has too much control over smartphone experience in the U.S.
Yes unlocked sim free phones are more pricier but it offers you complete freedom in terms of your cellular service.
Yes unlocked sim free phones are more pricier but it offers you complete freedom in terms of your cellular service.
$20 a month (rolling 1 month contract) for a SIM only unlimited data eg on Three network U.K. deal - not sure how Apple can beat that. And the disparity between US prices for unlimited and U.K./Europe would seem huge.
I get what you are saying but apple didn't make phones either before the iPhone. There were big boys like Nokia, BB, Motorola....you know...the usual suspects! Doing just fine, like mobile carriers are doing now. And there comes Apple with iPhone and everything changes.
Now am not saying Apple is going to do anything revolutionary here, but you can't say leave it to the big boys. That's not how a succesful company would look at things.
This was my first thought too. The main reason for Apple (and Google) to get into this game is to provide fast path to their cloud services that don't count against data caps. But I imagine that should clash with net neutrality rules, right?
They won't get a foodhold in most of Europe. I already got unlimited text/mms 10h talk and 10GB data on LTE for about $15 / month including taxes and fees. And I get to roam in 24 EU countries without paying anything extra.